Into the Code
by Northern Goshawk
Summary: She didn't know how she ended up in this game. She couldn't even remember anyways. One moment, she was in her room, the next she was falling. What she did know was what was about to happen. While she was here, she might as well make the most out of it. Inspired by Ariza Luca's short-lived Storytime. ON HIATUS FOR NOW
1. The Beginning

**A/N Splendidly, I decided to bring a third story into the juggle between _When Family Matters_ and _A Children's Story_.**

**But I really can't help it.**

**Ever since reading Ariza Luca's ****_Storytime_ (it's kinda old, so you might not know what it is), my mind has been brimming with _what if...?_s in which Northern, my own character, was pulled into the game.**

**Disclaimer: I don't own MCSM, yadda yadda. Also, this is not canon to the universe in which both _When Family Matters_ and _A Children's Story_ takes place.**

**Did I say universe? Maybe I should've used a different word...**

**Anyways, enjoy this story and hope that I can keep this running while I'm bumping back and forth between my other two stories.**

* * *

Northern sighed, rubbing her head. She had just come back from a rigorous swim practice and was exhausted. After going through her homework, all she wanted to do was to sit down and bang out the next chapter of her story.

Her phone sounded an alert, drawing the girl's attention back to her phone. She picked it up, raising an eyebrow as she regarded the message.

"A review for _When Family Matters_?" she inquired, not being able to help the feeling of excitement lurching in her stomach. Eagerly, she opened up the notification and began reading the review.

She turned back to the computer to find a notification from _Minecraft: Story Mode._ She frowned, narrowing her eyes. She had once _tried_ to download _Minecraft: Story Mode_; due to Telltale Games shutting down, she couldn't. But she _has_ played Episodes 1 through 5.

To say that she was wary was an understatement.

Looking back, she thought it was out of sheer curiosity, maybe even an eagerness to find a way to play the game again.

She didn't know _how_ it happened. But it did; a bright flash of light overcame her. On instinct, she flung her arms around her face in an effort to stave off the blinding-white light.

And then she was falling, falling down into the darkness.

Northern _hated_ the feeling of falling, hated how her stomach would leap as gravity took hold again; it always scared her. She was afraid of heights in general, because one slip, one mishap, and one could plummet to their death. She's had way, _way_ too many dreams in which she fell.

This was a nightmare come true.

On instinct, she flailed her arms, trying to find a way to steady herself, but she couldn't tell what was up or down.

The downside to falling in darkness: one's sense of direction was severely compromised.

For several heartbeats, Northern wasn't sure _when_ she'd stop falling.

Then she landed.

* * *

Northern rose. The first thing she noted were the woods.

Forests weren't an unfamiliar sight to Northern; in fact, she welcomed them. It was a good way to go out and breathe in nature while getting away from civilization.

She often admired the trees in autumn especially. All the bright leaves, as well as the crisp, cool air, assaulted her senses in a way that left her feeling refreshed.

But this… this was different. The trees alone were more…_vibrant_. Even the bark of the oak tree Northern was standing next to held a warmer brown. The sunshine was a warmer gold, the grass a brighter green.

But this was no recognizable site of a forest that Northern was aware of.

_Wait._ A premonition struck her, a gut feeling that was trying to tell her something. Slowly, she lowered her head to gaze at her hands.

Instead of normal, _human_ skin, she found herself staring at one hand, of whose fist was a lightning-blue color, which stretches up in a flame-pattern until her elbow; the rest was pitch-black. The other arm was covered in an armored sleeve that looked strangely as if-

_No way._ Northern scrambled to her feet, glancing down at the rest of her body. Instead of the normal T-shirt and joggers, she was wearing a dark-gray chestplate (_that's a _familiar _symbol_) that was surprisingly light, samurai-style pants, and boots that matched the chestplate.

Northern's hand flew up towards her face. Instead of feeling her face, she felt a hard surface that seemed to be positioned over her face.

She slowly reached around the back of her head and grabbed the thing, jerking it off her head.

A skull with wide eyeholes, a blue crescent on its forehead, and blue feathers sticking out from the back of it glared back at her.

She breathed in deeply. Breathe out. In. Out.

To her credit, she didn't start screaming.

_I'm a freakin' Minecraft person,_ she thought, bile rising in her throat at the upsetting thought. _Oh thor…_

Maybe Tai Chi could help her. Yeah, Tai Chi seems to work well.

She assumed a stance and breathed out, slowly raising both of her hands in front of her to shoulder height. Exhale, and her arms lowered to her sides. Inhale, exhale, inhale, exhale.

The one thing she really liked about Tai Chi was that it always helped regulate her breathing, letting her keep a clear head and calm down her speeding heart rate. Even now, she could feel her heart slowing down with each exhale.

Once she deemed herself calm enough, she began shifting through her inventory, taking out each item.

_A stack of steaks; nice, enough so that I wouldn't go hungry. Hmm, sticks and cobblestone; solid, but not durable enough. If I don't have a sword, then this'll do._ She paused for a moment, scanning the next object in question. _I don't believe it…_ Slowly, she took it out of her inventory and held it to the sun.

It was a saber-broadsword; the oriental-styled type. The blade glinted copper in the sunlight, with lightning-blue runes inscribed on each side of it that clearly read, _Thunder_. The hilt was the same copper-colored metal, and the handle of the blade was wrapped in leather, comfortable enough to grip.

Experimentally, Northern pointed the tip of the blade towards a birch tree and willed lightning to shoot from the tip. Something surged within her, and before she knew it, the center of the tree was smoking.

Northern stared at her newfound blade, excitement and astonishment warring within her. Hesitantly, she outstretched her left hand and willed the same energy to surge through her fingertips, leveling her hand to aim at a tree trunk.

A bolt of white-blue lightning streamed from her fingertips, hitting the tree square-on.

One last test: Northern raised her blade in the air, silently _commanding_ the winds to imbue her weapon with the power of wind. Her request was granted when she felt the _whoosh_ of the wind as it began circling her blade; the runes glowed, instead of its regular blue, a white.

_Now I know that I still have my Thunderlord abilities,_ Northern thought to herself; even so, she couldn't help the feeling of excitement rising within her. _I wonder why I'm here._

No sooner had that thought crossed her mind than the excited chatter of a group of people - judging by the type and tone of the voices - filled the air. Northern ducked behind a tree, checking on the road, which was from where the voices were drifting.

Three people were walking down the road: a dark-skinned girl with curly hair, which was topped with a green beanie and goggles, a gigantic male with a broad build, and a boy with suspenders.

Instantly, Northern understood who they were: Olivia, Axel, and Jesse, respectively. They still looked happy, full of life. As far as she could see, they wore no armor.

_Which means…_

She was at the moment where it all started: when Jesse and his friends were walking towards the EnderCon Building Contest, unaware of what was going to go down that night.

_But why?_ Northern pulled away, contemplating her question. _Why was I sent _here_, of all places?_

It really was a query: why wasn't she sent to any other time? Perhaps this was just a freak accident with prototype technology. Maybe this technology was wired, by default, to send the user to the beginning.

Or maybe…she was here to change things.

It was possible. It could be, couldn't it? After all, every choice changes the outcome. Seeing as though Jesse (video-game Jesse, not real-life Jesse, the one Northern was peering at right now) was hardwired with limited choices, maybe she _can_ change things.

Maybe.

(After all, there _was_ the possibility that she would _majorly_ screw things up.)

Northern made a split-second decision right there: she took off her armor lightning-fast and stored it in her inventory, along with her sword and her other gear in the hopes that she appeared harmless (though when has the appearance of a talking bird in samurai armor and glowing eyes, one of which had been scarred, was ever "harmless"?)

Taking a deep breath, Northern stepped out of the cover of the woods into the path of the trio, effectively blocking their path.

The first thing that seemed to register to them at this supposed-stranger, Northern noted, was shock. Jesse and Axel were staring at her with mouths agape, and Olivia actually looked like she was going to faint.

_Better hurry this up._ Northern cleared her throat, adopting a look of ease and non-hostility as she raised her hands in a peaceful gesture. "Hello, I was just walking through the woods and heard you chatting." She paused, contemplating her next words and how much impact it would be on what would happen next. "My name is Northern."

* * *

**A/N So. ****This was kinda short, but it'll work for now.**

**The reason why Northern, my self-insert OC, is still a phoenix is because I'd prefer to keep it this way (even though avatars that are fully animal don't exist), and this could be another reason that's painfully obvious that Northern doesn't belong in Jesse's world.**

**And yes, I am a female. My avatar, I'd consider, to the outside eye is more inclined on the masculine side; I'm not part of the LGBTQ+ community (no offense to those who are), I just can't use the _really_ girly avatars in MC.**

**Just to clear some confusion, in case you didn't know I was female.**

**Anyways, review!**


	2. Roadside Chatter (And Name-Calling)

Jesse wasn't sure _what_ to expect from the newcomer.

His first instinct (admittedly) had been to run screaming back to the treehouse where he resided. Instead, he stood rooted to the ground, staring (quite openly) at the stranger.

This stranger was unlike anyone he's ever seen in his life. For one, her (he was sure she was a she) eyes _glowed_, and they were different colors. For one, her right eye (his left) was marred by a scar, so it had no distinguishable pupil, but it glowed an unearthly, pale red. Her other eye's "white" wasn't white at all, but a pale blue. Her iris was the color of a deep ocean.

Her clothes were out of the ordinary, too. With a bandana tied around her mouth (_Mouth? Beak?_) and an almost-warrior style of clothing, she looked formidable. Even dangerous.

Did he mention that she was distinctly non-human?

Streaks of purple feathers crowned her head. Any skin that was uncovered proved to be feathers, yet not the fluffy kinds, like the ones on a chicken; they were sleeker, more suited for flying through combat, like a falcon's or a hawk's.

What was most intriguing was how unreadable and guarded she seemed to be; her eyes seemed to betray nothing, even as she scanned over them now, even as she had said hello. Her tone was pleasant enough, but still…

Jesse was wary. Who was this newcomer? How did she get here?

Most importantly, WHY ISN'T SHE A HUMAN?

Jesse risked a glance to the side, gauging his own friends' reactions. Axel was staring at the stranger with an appropriate expression of shock, his mouth opening and closing as if he lost his ability to speak.

Olivia, on the other hand, looked as if she would faint.

To hurry the conversation up so that Olivia _wouldn't_ faint, Jesse hurriedly blurted out, "Where did you come from?"

Northern tilted her head to the side. "A world further from where you live, a world of which you've never heard before."

"What exactly do you call it?" Olivia piped up, and Jesse was relieved that she didn't look as if she was on the cusp of fainting; sure, she still looked queasy, but curiosity settled back over her features.

Northern was silent for a moment as she seemed to ponder the question. Finally, she shrugged. "Your world and my world don't usually coincide with each other. In fact, this is the very first time I've even _been_ in your world."

"Really?"

Northern nodded. There was an awkward interlude of silence, which was broken when Axel apparently found his voice again.

"So, what do you, er, _do_ as a hobby?"

At that, Northern's eyes brightened. "Loads of things. I like to read, write…" On and on she went, apparently relieved at the ability to share some of her hobbies. As Jesse listened, he felt himself relaxing. Northern, despite her appearance, seemed to be the same as him and his friends, since she had hobbies too. She was even nice to Reuben, when he came up to her and butted her leg with his head affectionately.

_What didja expect, dummy?_ he chided himself. _For her to be able to fly or something?_

Still, Jesse couldn't shake the feeling that there was something…_off_ about her.

After a while, Jesse idly checked the time on his pocket-watch. When he saw the time, his alarm spiked, and he dropped it back into his inventory, yelping, "Crap! We gotta go!"

Axel's and Olivia's head snapped up, staring at the teen in alarm. Jesse noted, however, that Northern merely looked impassive as she continued to stroke Reuben's head. "Where you off to?" she asked.

Jesse suspected that she knew anyways, but he replied, "The EnderCon building competition."

"Ah." Northern nodded. She paused, thinking, then asked, "What time does it start?"

"Twelve o'clock, sharp," Olivia replied, beginning to sweat by the looks of the beads of water forming on her head. "What time is it, Jesse?"

"It's eleven-thirty!"

Axel cursed really loudly. Olivia gasped. At the same time, both she and Northern spoke:

"Axel!"

"Watch your language."

Axel looked sheepish as he muttered a hasty apology. Northern glanced at him, looking curious. "Your name is Axel?"

Axel shook himself out. "Yeah."

It _just_ occurred to Jesse that this stranger had introduced herself, but they didn't. He wanted to kick himself for his lack of manners. He stepped up. "I'm Jesse, and that's -" He gestured to Olivia. "- Olivia. And that's -" He pointed at Reuben. "- Reuben."

Northern nodded. "Pleased to meet you." She lowered herself to the ground, petting Reuben gently. "He's a cutie, you guys know that?"

Olivia nodded hastily, then turned to Jesse. "We got everything, right?"

Jesse fished around in his inventory, then nodded. "Yeah."

"So what's the rush?" Northern inquired. "How long does it take to get there?"

Jesse checked his pocket watch. 11:33. "Fifteen minutes."

"And what time is it now?"

"Eleven thirty-three."

"So what's the rush?" Northern pointed out. "If it takes you fifteen minutes to get there, then by the time you get there, it would be -" She tilted her head again. Jesse wondered if it was habit. "- eleven-forty-eight." She shrugged. "Personally, I don't see any problem."

Puzzling over it, Jesse realized that Northern was correct. There shouldn't be a need to panic just yet; they had just enough time.

"Can I come with you?"

Jesse was snapped out of his thoughts, and he turned to Northern, not sure if he heard right. "What?"

Northern shrugged. "I wouldn't be much help if you're building something; I personally prefer combat."

_Just like Petra._ Jesse filed away the thought.

Northern continued, "But all the same, I'd like to watch you guys build. Besides -" Her eyes darkened unexpectedly. "- you might need someone to…keep watch."

At her ominous words, all the hair on the back of Jesse's neck stood up. Did she know about the Ocelots?

Then, just as suddenly, her face cleared up. She cleared her throat. "So, can I come?"

Jesse, Olivia, and Axel looked at each other and began a silent conversation.

_Can she come?_

_She's awesome!_

_But we don't know her! We don't know if she would sabotage our build…_

_She's definitely not affiliated with the Ocelots. She says she's never seen us before._

_She _says_._

_Come on._

_What do you say, Jesse?_

As if on cue, the both of them turned, staring at Jesse and asking silently for his own input. Jesse started, then sighed. _Always making the decisions, am I?_

"I think she can come," he confided to them quietly. "After all, she hasn't shown she was a threat."

"_Yet_," Olivia added.

Jesse nodded. "Look, we'll reserve judgement on her until she does something that sabotages us…or protects us."

Olivia thought for a moment. "I suppose that's fair," she admitted grudgingly.

Axel, on the other hand, looked absolutely _delighted_ to have a potential ally with them. Jesse turned away from them to face the stranger, who, contrary to what Jesse thought she would do (which was eavesdrop), was waiting quietly for their decision.

_Interesting,_ Jesse thought. Aloud, he said, "You can come."

Northern nodded stiffly, showing no sign of being overly joyful nor sullen. Just…indifferent. She uncrossed her arms. "Shall we get going?" she asked.

Jesse nodded. "Let's." Together, the five of them set off towards the competition.

* * *

Just as Northern predicted, it was only 11:50 when they arrived. Unfortunately, they were greeted with the unpleasant sight of four signature jackets. Jesse internally cursed his bad luck.

"Aw, great, it's Lukas and the Ocelots," Axel groaned, echoing Jesse's own thoughts.

Northern raised an eyebrow. "What's so bad about them?"

Olivia sighed, glowering at the backs of their rivals. "They're a bunch of bullies, always calling us 'losers' and the like."

Jesse added, "For some reason, they believe that they're superior to us since they always win the EnderCon competition."

Northern's brow furrowed. "They're builders?" At Jesse's confirming nod, Northern herself nodded thoughtfully. "I see."

Just then, Gill turned around, his bearded face breaking into a grin. "Look, it's the Order of the -" He broke off, his grin falling into an astonished look. "What the-?"

"What?" Maya turned to look at them. Her jaw also fell open as she took in Northern. She nudged Aiden. "Aiden," she whispered harshly.

Aiden had turned around at this point, and his face wore the most shocked expression Jesse had ever seen in his life, and he's known Aiden (unpleasantly) for a long while now. At his expression, Jesse couldn't help but feel a flash of triumph. Aiden's face, however, transformed into its usual sneer.

"Well, well, well, if it isn't the Loser Squad, and with a new addition!" He peered at Northern. "Didja become so desperate to win that you grabbed the first freak you saw, Jesse? Not that you'd ever."

Maya and Gill both howled with mirth.

Blood boiled in Jesse's veins, and he opened his mouth for a retort. Surprisingly, Northern beat him to it. Unlike his hot anger, Northern's voice was icy cool. "I'm actually disappointed, Aiden." She crossed her arms. "For a builder, I'd assume your insults would be more…creative."

_That_ wiped the smirk off of Aiden's face, much to Jesse's self-admitted delight. He glowered at Northern, who stood unflinchingly. "And _who_ do you think you might be, freak?"

Northern's voice still contained that icy coolness. "Someone who's taken martial arts and swordsmanship practice. If I were you, the logical thing would be to back off." She shook her head. "But you're not one to listen to logic, are you?"

By now, Aiden's face was so red that he might as well have been a tomato. He sputtered. "Why - you - _insolent_ -"

"Careful now." A tone of amusement entered her voice. "You wouldn't want to choke on your own tongue now, would you?"

Jesse couldn't believe his ears; here was a stranger who was actually putting _Aiden_, of all people, in his place. Here was a stranger who wasn't even remotely riled up about Aiden's insults. He caught a glimpse of Maya and Gill; both of them were looking at Northern with wide eyes.

Northern shrugged. "I don't think you would like to make me your enemy. Frankly, I don't want to fight you."

Aiden sneered, looking triumphant. "So you're scared of me?"

"No." Northern casually shrugged. "I said I don't _want_ to fight you. I didn't say I _couldn't_."

Aiden's sneer dropped. He growled, "You wanna have a go?"

Northern tilted her head. "Would it be wise? No. Besides, we're at a _building_ competition, of all places. Starting a brawl _now_ would keep you from building your, ah, _masterpiece_. Not to mention, I'm pretty sure you'll get kicked out."

Aiden paused, thinking. Finally, he admitted grudgingly, "Yeah, I guess that makes sense."

Northern nodded. "Just remember, if you hurt any of _them_ -" She gestured towards Olivia, Axel, and Jesse. Her voice suddenly turned cold. "- I won't hesitate to stop you."

"Whoa!" Aiden put his hands up, looking frightened. "I - I wasn't going to!"

Northern's voice still carried that coldness as she said, "Just know if you do, I'll be around, watching."

Jesse hadn't even realized that Lukas was listening in until he suddenly interjected, "Aiden, _let's go!_" Aiden shot one last frightened look at Northern before scampering off after the blond.

"Wow," Axel breathed. "That's amazing, the way you made him so scared."

"Yeah, well -" Northern shrugged. "- I wouldn't say it if I didn't mean it."

And Jesse believed her. He believed every word that came out of her mouth. _I guess,_ he mused wryly to himself, _she'd be a great ally after all._

* * *

**A/N Am I the only one who really dislikes pre-redemption Aiden and wishes to put him in his place? Yes? Oh.**

**Anyways, hope you enjoyed this chapter! just know that I wouldn't _actually_ do something like that to people irl.**

**See ya!**

**Review!**


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